Wire nail.



S. E. BELL.

WIRE NAIL.

APPLICATION FILED DBU. 8, 1909.

Patented June 11, 1912.

31A/umm STUART E. BELL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

WIRE NAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1912.

Application led December 8, 1909. Serial No. 531,960.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, STUART E. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State oil" California, have invented new and useful Improvements in lire Nails, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to wire nails, the object being to provide a nail of this class or description which is simple in construction and adapted to prevent to a great extent splitting of the wood where the nail is driven into the wood, or any other material that is liable to crack, split or in any way detiect the material in which said nail is used, when it is driven into or through the wood, or like material having a grain that the nail entering the same would be liable to displace, deflect, crack or remove the material through which the nail is forced or driven.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification; Figure 1V is a frontl elevation of a nail constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 8 is an enlarged side view ot' the lower point of the nail showing the double or compound taper at the bottoni or extreme end of the nail. Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4 4 of F 2. A I

Referring to the drawings 1 represents the body of the nail, which is slightly inclined or made narrower at the head than the point as at 13 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The lower part 2 of the nail is slightly cut away so as to present an inclined surface crosswise to the grain of the wood so that the nail will enter the latter gradually expanding` the wood from side to side in such a way as not to split the same. The inclined surface 2 is increased to a more acute angle at 8 and terminates at a square end 5, the corners of the blunt point of the nail being slightly tapered as shown at 4, so as to give the nail a bevel instead of sharp corners where it enters the wood, thereby giving the nail an easier entrance into the wood in which the nail is driven. The nail being wider at the point than at the head will have a tendency to reduce its liability of splitting' the wood when driven crosswise of the grain as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The body of the nail is substantially elliptical in cross section as shown, this elliptical cross sectional contour increasing in length in the direct-ion of its short axis from the middle to the head of the nail and decreasing in length in the direction of its long axis from a portion adjacent to the point to the said head, the maximum length of the short axis at the head of the nail being equal to the minimum length of the long axis at the medial portion of the nail so -that when the point enters the wood it makes an enlarged hole across the grain and the tapering side of the nail near the head will render it less liable to split the wood as the nail is being driven in, while the enlarged or oval part of the nail near the head will have a decided tendency to draw the wood close around the small diameter of the oval body of the nail as shown at 13, Fig'. 1.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings an enlarged view of the side of the nail is shown in which 10 is the bevel from 11 to 7 and which is designed to allow the nail to wedge itself gradually into the wood so as not to split or displace the same, and by still referring to said figure of the drawing 4 designates corners of the nail which is beveled o to allow the point to more readily enter the wood without splitting. Referring again particularly to said contour 3 is the acute bevel from 11 to 12 terminating in a flat or blunt point which enables the nail to enter the wood at a decided slant, so as to give an easy start into the wood without splitting and to allow the nail to penetrate through the'wood without undue displacement of the wood.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a cross section of a nail 'adjacent to the head in which 17 equals the narrow side of the nail as at 13, and 18 equals the widened or enlarged side of the nail as at 6 by which construction the nail as it is driven into the wood to the head or the narrowed or beveled sides of the nails 17 and 1S will offer no resistance against the grain of the wood to cause it to split, while the enlarged or thickened part 18 will press against the wood with the grain, which will draw the wood against the reduced side of the nail close to the head, this practically wedging the point into the wood without splitting.

It will of course be observed that the lattened point of the nail should be held in position at right angle, or across the grain of the wood and to be continued on in that position as nearly as possible until the nail is driven in as far as desired. For this reason a nail as constructed will be less liable to split, crack or mar the wood in which it is driven either on entering, after it has entered, or when it is driven completely through the wood, thereby making it more easily adapted for the purpose for which it is intended.

It is to be observed by referring to Fig. 1 that it shows the bevel 2 in the beveled end of the nail extending down to the sharper level 3 where it terminates in the blunt point 5, which point is slightly cut away at the corners 4 as it is intended to use it in the co-nstruction.

VThe nail constructed according to the above description is preferable, but slight changes in the form or proportion may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is A nail having a body and a head, said body from its center toward the head of the nail being of oval contour and having its short axis increasing in length from the center of the body toward the head of the nail, and the long axis decreasing in length from the center of the body toward the head, the

portion of the nail, and the long axis decreasing in length from the center of the body toward the point ofthe nail, and terminating in inclined oppositely dlisposed surfaces extending from the center of the body toward the point and converging toward one another and of a less length than t-he oval portion of the body, and said shorter axis increasing in length from the center of the body toward t-he point whereby in the driving of the nail an oval opening is Jformed the longer axis of which is changed to the shorter axis upon the completion of the driving operation, whereby` to securely hold the nail in position and prevent splitting of the material in the driving operation of the nail.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STUART E. BELL.

Witnesses y:

CLAIRE HEYwooD, E. Lois BOUCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,vby addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

